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Bradfield St Clare Brickworks
Bradfield Combust, Bradfield St Clare and Bradfield St George all show evidence of brick making, according to the lists published in 1988 by C J Pankhurst for the British Brick Society newsletters, 21, 22 and 23.
Mr Pankhurst could not locate this brickworks on any map from the period, and even the Suffolk Heritage Explorer does not locate it with any degree of confidence. However the last operator quoted by CJP was "Frederick Charles Hopkins" with a date of 1883, as shown in the text attached here.
Local historian Martyn Taylor has found a reference to him in his tattered copy of White's Directory of Suffolk for 1885. He tells me that under Bury St Edmunds alphabetical list he appears as follows:
"Hopkins Frederick Charles timber and general merchant, builder and contractor, brick and tile works, Bradfield and Sicklesmere, Steam Sawing and Planing Mills, agent to the Northand Mercantile Insurance Co.; h Cottage Lane"
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The area today
The Suffolk Heritage Explorer lists Bradfield St Clare Brickworks as monument record BSC 030, "Brick Works operated by Samuel Fisher 1844-1864, J F Everton 1853, Robert E Clarke 1865-1869, Alfred Fisher 1873-1879, Frederick Charles (????) 1883. Not located on OS 1880s or later map, though note of 'Brick Kiln House' at TL 8951 5879 on existing map. Believed to have been located in area of Maynard's Orchard (around TL 8972 5884)" As can be seen from the Suffolk Heritage Explorer map there is no trace of the brickworks remaining today . The brick illustrated here is to be found in a flint rubble wall of apparent recent reconstruction at Finsbury Place in Bury St Edmunds. However, please note that Mr Pankhurst also located Frederick Charles Hopkins at Nowton Brickworks in 1883.
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It has been suggested that the Kiln Field shown on the Bradfield St Clare tithe map of 1843 is the most likely location for a brick kiln in the parish. I have transcribed this location on to the 1904 version of the area. |
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Summary of the owners or managers
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British Brick Society newsletter "Information No 26, April 2014,
Suffolk Heritage Explorer Reference BOT 016
Suffolk Review, Vol 5, 1980 - 1988 on ‘Suffolk Brickmaking’ by Robert Malster. (Suffolk Local History Council, Summer 1983, Vol 5, No 4).
Suffolk Industrial Archaeology Society newsletter No 21, September, 1988, "Brick Kilns in Suffolk" by C J Pankhurst
Website - David Kitching's website - Brick Section
Website - Martyn Fretwell's blog on bricks etc
Photos of bricks by Martyn Fretwell unless stated.
Page created on 27th October, 2023
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